Hibiscus plant named ‘Notwoodone’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Hibiscus plant named ‘Notwoodone’, characterized by its upright plant habit; very freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance; and attractive and numerous lavender-colored flowers that are large and semi-double with numerous stamenoid petaloids.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hibiscusplant, botanically known as Hibiscus syriacus, and hereinafter referredto by the cultivar name ‘Notwoodone’.

The new Hibiscus is a product of a breeding program conducted by theInventor in Great Shelford, United Kingdom. The objective of thebreeding program was to create new Hibiscus cultivars with new andunique flower colors and types.

The new Hibiscus originated from open-pollinations of variousunidentified seedling selections of Hibiscus syriacus. The new Hibiscuswas discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant withinthe progeny from these crosses in a controlled environment in GreatShelford, United Kingdom. The new Hibiscus was selected on the basis ofits flower color and type.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings taken atWoodbridge, United Kingdom, since 1998 has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Hibiscus are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar ‘Notwoodone’ have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, light intensity,daylength, and fertility level without, however, any variance ingenotype. The following traits have been repeatedly observed and aredetermined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Notwoodone’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘Notwoodone’ as a new anddistinct cultivar:

1. Upright plant habit.

2. When pinched, very freely branching habit; dense and bushyappearance.

3. Attractive and numerous lavender-colored flowers that are large andsemi-double with numerous stamenoid petaloids.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which more accurately describe the actual colorsof the new Hibiscus.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical plant of ‘Notwoodone’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view of atypical flower of ‘Notwoodone’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants were grown in GrandHaven, Mich. under full sun field conditions which closely approximatecommercial production conditions. Day temperatures ranged from 10 to 32°C. and night temperatures ranged from 4 to 24° C. Plants used for thedescription and photographs were about four years old and grown in theground.

Botanical classification: Hibiscus syriacus cultivar ‘Notwoodone’.

Parentage: Open-pollination of various unidentified seedling selectionsof Hibiscus syriacus, not patented.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—By softwood.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 21 days at 32° C. Winter: About 28days at 20° C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting or liner.—Summer: About 56 days at 32°C. Winter: About 70 days at 20° C.

Root description.—Thick and fleshy.

Plant description:

Crop time.—From cuttings, about one growing season is required toproduce a flowering finished plant in a one-gallon container.

Form.—Mostly upright; inverted triangle; dense and bushy perennial.

Usage.—Appropriate for one to three-gallon containers.

Plant height, soil level to top of plant plane.—About 2.7 m.

Plant width.—About 1.75 m.

Vigor.—Moderate to rapid growth rate.

Branching habit.—When pinched, very freely branching with about 118lateral branches per plant.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 80 cm. Diameter: About 4.5 mm. Internodelength: About 6 cm. Texture: Smooth; slightly pubescent. Color: 137A.

Foliage description.—Leaves simple, generally symmetrical and longpersisting. Tolerant to stresses. Quantity per lateral branch: Typicallyabout 39. Length: About 4.5 cm. Width: About 3 cm. Shape: Rhomboid toovate, three-lobed. Apex: Acute. Base: Broadly cordate to rounded.Margin: Coarsely dentate. Texture: Glabrous; medium thickness. Color:Young foliage, upper surface: 144A. Young foliage, lower surface: 144B.Mature foliage, upper surface: 146A; venation, 146A. Mature foliage,lower surface: 146B; venation, 146B. Petiole: Length: About 1 cm.Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Color: 146B.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Semi-double rounded flowers arising from leafaxils. Freely flowering. Flowers last about one day on the plant. Notpersistent. Not fragrant.

Natural flowering season.—Continuously flowering from mid-summer throughfall.

Quantity of flowers.—About 11 or 12 per lateral branch; more than 1,300per plant.

Flower diameter.—About 10 cm.

Flower depth (height).—About 2.5 cm.

Flower buds (just showing color).—Length: About 4.5 cm. Diameter: About2.25 cm. Shape: Ovate. Rate of opening: About one day. Color: 138B.

Petals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five petals;overlapping. Length: About 5.75 cm. Width: About 5 cm. Shape: Obovate.Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire; undulate. Texture: Smooth; raised veins.Color: Upper surface, when opening: 91B; base and veins, 64A. Lowersurface, when opening: 91C. Upper surface, opened flower: 91B; base andveins, 64A; become darker, 93B. Lower surface, opened flower: 91C.Petaloids: Variable shape and size. Quantity: About 15 to 35.Arrangement: Whorled. Length: About 0.6 to 4 cm. Width: About 0.3 to 1.5cm. Shape: Mostly spatulate; margin, entire and undulate. Color,immature and mature, both surfaces: 91B.

Calyx.—Star-shaped, sepals, five, fused. Sepal length: About 1.7 cm.Sepal width: About 7 mm. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepalcolor: Upper surface: 147A. Lower surface: 147B.

Peduncle.—Strength: Moderately strong. Angle: About 25° to the stem.Length: Abut 1.5 cm. Color: 138A.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color:11B. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen color: 11B. Pistils: Pistilquantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 3 cm. Stigma shape:Five-parted; rounded. Stigma color: White, close to 155D. Style length:About 3 cm. Style color: White, close to 155D. Ovary color: 157A.

Seed.—Seed development has been observed.

Disease/insect resistance: Under commercial production conditions,plants of the new Hibiscus have not been noted to be resistant topathogens and insects common to Hibiscus.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Hibiscus plant named‘Notwoodone’, as illustrated and described.